Golf ball teeing device



Sept. 5, E950 .1. MOZEL GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 28, 1947 IN VEN TOR JOE MO Z El.

AT TORN EY Sept 5, 1950 7 J. MozEL. 2,520,952

GOLF BALL TEEINC DEVICE Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2` ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1950 1. MQZEL 2,520,952

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVf-:NTOR JOE MOZEL ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1950 J. MozEl. 2,520,952

GOLF BALL Tx-:EING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L C 75A 75 /75A 6 es /87 #7 92 @07' 8f 9e ao 91/ l e2 INVENTOR i515] 10E MOZEL ATTORNEY 3 the frame I best illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 6. By having a series of notches 54, the tension of this spring can be varied to meet different op-Y erating conditions. I ,y y ,Y Y

A link -55 isv pivotally connected at 56 to the lever arm 46 and to the bracket 51 of the framework 39, and raises and lowers the framework-w n and tee 36 when the operating arm 46 is moved.

Cranks 58 are xedly mounted to the operatingshaft 26 and have a roller 59 journalled between their outer ends. is revolved, in the direction of-the arrow (Fig. 3), the cranks 58 are revolved therewith. The roller 59 will contact the upper side of the arm 46, 'forc-V ing it downwardly against the tension of the spring 50 and thereby lowering the frame 39 of the tee 36 to the position illustrated in Figure 2. `After the cranks start to move up, the spring 50 will raise thelever arm 46Yand the tee back to the teeing position. The height of the tee is governed by the stop 60 which engages the lever 46, best illustrated in Figures 3 and 8. The stop 60 consists of a plunger -6l slidably mounted within the tubular member 62 which is threaded within the frame 6 at 63 and locked by the lockingnut 63'. A'V cross shaft 64 is journalled at its one end within the bracket 65, which forms part of theframe 6, and at itsother end within the side frame 2. lA crank 66 is xedly mounted at one end of the shaft 64 and is connected to the plunger 6I by the link 61. An operating lever 68 is formed on the opposite end of the shaft 64 and extends up above the top of the frame of the machine so that it can be adjusted by the player.

A brake is applied' to the shaft 64 by the adjusting screw 69, which bears against the shaft to the desired amount of friction so that when the lever 68 is moved this friction will hold the shaft from turning in either direction. By .mov-

ving the lever 68 in either direction it will raise or lower the plunger 6I and the stop 60, through the shaft 64, the crank arm 66 and' link 61, to any desired position, andv thereby adjustrthe elevation of the operating lever 46 and the teel 35. When a ball I8 rolls from the delivery chute I9 through the opening I1 into the guideway vIIJ, it lands upon'th'e plate 10, which is movably When the operating shaft 26 When a golf ball is resting on the tee 36, the

switch 11 will be opened, duev to theweightof the ball lowering the rod v31 vwhich rests' on the .switch operating bar 18, best illustratedin Figs.

V5 and 9, and when the ball is removed from the tee, the'plunger or rod 31 will be raised by the spring action of the operating bar 18. The raising motion of the operating bar 18 closes an electric circuitthrough the switch 11, referring to the Wiring diagram of Fig. 9. If the switch 11 is closed by the removal of a ball'from the tee 36 and the switch 15l is closed across its contacts 15A, by a ball resting onthe plate 10, electric energy will then flow from the supply line 19 through the electric motor 20, conductor 80,

through the lswitch vcontacts 15A of the switch 15, electric conductor 8l, through the'switch- 11 dotted position of the latch.

4 and to the main supply line 82. This will cause the motor to revolve the operating shaft 26, rotating the arm 33 in the direction of the arrow, raising the golf ball 83 around the guideway I0 and into the guideway] ,to the golfball receiving and dispensing chamber 5. By the time this ball reaches this chamber, the tee 33 will be in the lower position, as indicated in Figure 2, through the -operation of the crank 58-59 depressing the arm 46.

' Referring to Figure '7, the cam 84, which is fixedly mounted to the outer end of the operating shaft 26, will have travelled in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 9), breaking contact with the switch operating bar 85, lwhich will cause the switch 86 Ato close an electriccircuit through the electric motor 28, conductor 81, conductor 88 and back to the main line 82. This is a carry over switch and maintains.A the electric circuit closed through the motor after the tee 36 fbegins to raise to pick up the gol-f b-'all within the dispensing chamber 5, and, because of the weight of the ball, opens the Switch 11. Therefore the switch 86 will maintain the motor in operation until the cycle is cornpletedrand the cam 84 again contacts the bar 85, opening the switch 86 and stopping the motor. On each cycle of operation the cam 84 contacts the operating switch b-ar 89 of the switch 90, this closes an electric circuit through the conductor 9| through the switch 98. A recording meter 92 is located adjacent the golf teeing machine through the lconductor 93 to a recording meter 94 which is located remotely from the teeing device, and is usually in an office connected with the golf course where the golf ball teeing devices are installed.

When there are no balls on the plate 18, both the attendant at the oice and the player at the Ateewill be informed of this fact in the following Vmanner. The switch 15 is a double circuit switch and when the operating bar 'H is allowed to raise, due to the absence o-f a golf ball on the plate 19, the switch bar 16 will open the contacts 15A and close the contacts 95. This completes a circuit through the conductor 96 from the main line through the switch contacts 95, through the lindicating light 91 located adjacent the golf'ball teeing device and through the conductor 98 and indicating light 99 located in the office so that both the player and the o-iiice attendant will know that the machine is out of golf balls. When there is no golf ball on the :plate 18 the plate will be raised by the switch bar 16 of the switch 15, and at the same time this switch .will open the motor circuit above described, preventing operation of the machine.

Referring to Figure 8, I have provided a one way latch or stop i60, which is pivotally mounted at IDI to the side of the ball dispensing chamber 5. It will be noted that a golf ball can be raised through this latch but a ball cannot drop down through the said latch asindicated by the This is a safety feature preventing the jamming of a ball in the machine. dropped down into the chamber.

The feature which I am desirous of covering primarily in this application is the operation of the ball lifting feature consisting of the arm 33 andthe guideway I8 for raising the fball from a lower level vto a higher level -within the golf ball teeing device. I already have a Patent Number 2,295,599 issued on the operation of the tee in general, but I have rearranged the mechanisms slightly from the organization disclosed by this A ball can yonly be raised and neverV patent to incorporate the method I have shown and described for raising the ball and putting it into the golf ball dispensing chamber of the machine.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact mechanical construction, as other mechanical equivalents may be substituted still coming within the scope of my claims.

What I claim is:

1. A golf ball teeing device which comprises a ball playing station, a ball loading station, a tee movable between a loading position to receive a |ball at said loading station and a teeing position at said playing station, a ball feeding station, a ball feeding member movable to feed a ball from said feeding station to said loading station, means responsive to the lack of a ball on the tee at the playing station and the presence of a ball at the feeding station for moving said feeding member and said tee in timed relation to feed a ball from said feeding station to tee-up said ball at the playing station, a remote operators station, and means operative by the lack of a ball at the feeding station for signalling at the tee and at the operators station the lack of a supply of balls at said feeding station.

2. A golf ball teeing device which comprises an open-sided cup for receiving and positioning a ball to be teed-up, an opening in the bottom of said cup, a tee movable vertically through said cup and the opening therein, said tee being movable between a loading position to load a ball that is in said cup and a teeing position above said cup, a pivotally mounted lever connected at one end to said tee and biased upwardly to raise said tee to teeing position, a feeding station to which balls may be supplied, a guideway from said feeding station to said open side of said cup, a ball feeding member movable longitudinally through said guideway to feed a ball from said station to said cup, said feeding member comprising a cam member that is positioned to depress said lever to lower said tee upon the operation of said feeding member, and means for advancing said feeding member through its feeding movement and for vertically moving said tee between its positions in timed relation.

3. A golf ball teeing device which comprises a tee that is movable to and from a ball loading station and a ball playing station, a ball feeding member for moving a ball from a ball feeding station to the ball loading station, means operative by a ball at the feeding station for moving said feeding member to move the ball to said loading station, and means subject to the weight of a ball on said tee to control the operation of said first-mentioned means.

4. A golf ball teeing device which comprises, in combination, a cup forming a loading station, a tee, means supporting said tee for movement to and fro-m the loading station in said cup and a playing station above said cup whereby said tee may receive a ball at said loading station and be raised to a position for playing the ball, a stop pivoted at the side of said cup for vertical movement, said stop extending inwardly from the top of said cup to be pivoted upwardly by a ball on said tee to permit the passing of said ball, means on said stop to limit its pivotal movement to prevent its passing over center and permit its dropping by gravity after the ball is past, and means on the cup to horizontally position the stop to block the mouth of the cup to prevent the ball from falling therein.

5. A golf ball teeing device comprising a frame, a golf ball dispensing chamber within said frame, a golf ball tee movably supported by said frame for vertical movement through said dispensing chamber to tee up a ball in said chamber and lift it to driving position above said frame, a chute in said frame for delivering a ball to said dispensing chamber, a golf ball feeding chamber in said frame below said chute, a circular track in said frame and extending from said feeding chamber to said chute, a ball lifting arm rotatably mounted in said frame for movement around said track to engage a ball in said feeding chamber and move it around said track to said chute, drive means for rotating said arm, means subject to the presence of a ball in said feeding chamber and the absence of a ball on said tee for operating said drive means, means in said frame for normally lifting said tee to driving position, and means rotatable with said arm for overcoming said lifting means and lowering said tee to said dispensing chamber.

6. A golf baliy teeing device which comprise a tee, a support for said tee that is vertically movable between ball loading and ball playing stations, a ball feeding station, a ball feeding member for moving a ball from said feeding station to said loading station, means operative by a ball at the feeding station for mo-ving said feeding member to move the ball to said loading station, means operated by the weight of a ball on said tee for stopping the operation of said feeder member moving means, and means periodically operable by said feeder member moving means for overcoming the operation of said weight iniiuenced stopping means when said tee is carrying a ball from the loading station to the playing station.

7. A golf ball teeing mechanism which comprises a tee that is movable between a ball-loading station and a ball-playing station, a ballfeeding station, a ball-feeding member for moving a ball from said ball-feeding station to said ball-loading station, means operative by a ball at the feeding station for moving said feeding member to move the ball to said loading station, means subject to the weight of a ball on said tee to control the operation of said member moving means, a remote operators station, electrically operated means including an electric circuit for indicating at the tee and at said operators station the number of balls in a series which have been fed to said loading station and tee, and a switch controlling said electric circuit and actuated by the operation of said member moving means for actuating said electrically operated indicating means.

JOE MOZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,545,959 Huyler July 14, 1925 1,972,894 Loeb Sept. 11, 1934 2,192,608 Butterworth Mar. 5, 1940 2,295,599 Mozel Sept. 15, 1942 2,315,257 Harlow Mar. 30, 1943 2,364,141 Harris Dec. 5, 1944 

